Delivery tolerance level too high

[susandennis]

When my parents lived in Manhattan, we all learned about deliveries and how fabulous they were. Especially groceries. Having grown up in the land of station wagons and shopping centers, a big grocery trip was a nothingburger. But, in Manhattan, a big grocery trip was a huge deal of planning and queuing and then when it was all done, getting the stuff home (and, in a small Manhattan apartment, finding a place for all of it).

At the A&P nearest us in mid-town Manhattan, my Mom was best friends with Jerry, the delivery guy. She'd go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds. Buy everything she needed and then later that day, Jerry would deliver it all. It was a good system.

When HomeGrocer.Com appeared on the scene I used them constantly. I loved them.

And now we have so many options. But, I'm over delivery, I think. I tried Instacart because I got a free delivery coupon. Well, free except for the 10% service fee and the delivery tip (15%) recommended. So... not free at all. (Normally you pay them $150 a year PLUS the 10% service fee and the recommended 15% tip.)

I 'shopped' yesterday. Delivery window noon-1. I got a text at 11:45 saying they were making substitutions and if I didn't want them, to text them right away. I did and immediately got a response that I was too late. WTF?

So out of 10 items I got 8 I wanted and 2 I did not. The delivery guy was pleasant enough and figured out the front door buzzer system (which is obvious but most delivery people don't get it even with instructions). He was here within 5 minutes of the start of the hour delivery window. I'm glad to have the stuff.

After I bitched they gave me credit for the wrong items BUT it is account credit so I can only access it if I use them again which I'm not going to. Lesson learned. Instacart, you are an uninstall.

On the up side, I feel better now, about doing my own shopping and, I'll tip myself 20% cause I am that good.

Comments

[jwg.livejournal.com]

My mother used to phone in her orders (in the '50s) and they delivered.

I always remember: "and I'd like a nice head of lettuce" as one of the things she would order.

Once when she was in the store where she usually ordered by phone she heard this dialog:
the man at the phone: How much is the roast beef?
the butcher: Who is it for?
the man on the phone: Mrs xxxx
the butcher: $ a pound

She start using another grocer after that.

[susandennis]

hahahaha! When she only wanted a few things and 'a nice head of lettuce' Mom would, indeed, call Gristede's on the corner. I can't remember that delivery guy's name. But since Gristede's was so much more expensive than the A&P, in an emergency, the family joke was 'how bad do we need it? Gristede's bad?'

[rsc.livejournal.com]

My mother used to call Gristle's, too. Although sometimes she went there -- it wasn't very far -- and had the groceries delivered.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

We get out groceries delivered, we fill our online basket throughout the week and then they get delivered on a Friday night. You can either pay per delivery or we get a discount for a regular subscription and then get 10% off some of the purchases.

[susandennis]

cool and it sounds like you have a neat system to go with it!

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

Every once in a while, AJ will order groceries online. I always have them bring cat litter because it's one thing I hate carrying home from the store. :)